Truck tank mounting means



Dec. 22, 1936. H CRARY 2,065,268

TRUCK TANK MOUNTING MEANS Filed April 16, 1936 INVENTOR HORACE A. CRARYMM, e. f/ayby M A TTORNEY.

Pa ent d Dec- 22, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE TRUCK TANK MOUNTINGMEANS Application April 16, 1936, Serial No. 74,810

13 Claims.

This invention relates to means for mounting a tank upon a supportingbase, and the invention has particular adaptability to applicationswherein the tank shell is of generally cylindrical character,horizontally disposed upon the frame of a vehicle, a familiararrangement employed in highway transportation of gasoline, milk, etc.

Such a tank is commonly secured upon its base by hold-down bands orsimilar tension members having end connections with the vehicle frameand passing transversely over and above the tank,

and preferably without rigid connection with the shell so that somerelative motion is permitted between the parts in order to reducemaximum stresses.

It is the object of this invention to improve the appearance of the tankby disposing its holddown means to be invisible, while retaining thestructural advantages of the described holddown arrangement; anotherobject being to conceal the vehicle frame as well as the hold-down meanswhere desired.

The exact nature of this invention together with further objects andadvantages thereof will be apparent from the following description takenin connection with the accompanying drawing, in

' which Fig. 1 is a perspective view of typical por-' tions of a tank, asupporting base therefor and the securing means effective therebetween,parts being broken away to show details of construction; Figs. 2 and 3are typical sectional elevations in longitudinal and transverse planesrespectively, illustrating a modified arrangement permissible where thetank is provided with bulkheads, the section of Fig. 2 being indicatedby line 2-2, Fig.3, and the section of Fig. 3 being indicated by theline 3--3, Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a fragmentary perspective view illustratinganother modification; and Fig. 5 is an enlarged sectional view as in theplane of line 5-5, Fig. 4.

With reference now to the drawing and first to Fig. 1 thereof, Arepresents the shell of the tank, and B a base on which it is supported.

- The tank shown is generally cylindrical, being of elliptical crosssection, and particularly according to this invention the top part ofits shell is convex.

The illustrated base part B may be one of several transverse members ofa vehicle frame, and has curvature within which the shell seats.

According to this invention means are arranged in the general plane ofthe member B to provide an arched way leading transversely within theshell and following the general contour of its upper portiombetweenopenings aon either side of the shell adjacent the correspondingextremities of the supporting member B.

For this purpose in the present instance a saddle member such as thechannel C is arranged to fit transversely of the tank immediately Withinthe shell, and secured in position as by continuous welding along itsflange extremities as indicated at I. While the saddle member C may beof channel form with rectangular typical section, it will be obviousthat other sectional shapes 1 might be employed for the purpose. Thesaddle member 0 may extend endlessly about the shell or it may terminateas illustrated, with an end shortly below each of the shell openings a.In the latter event the ends of the channel are cut 5 off fromcommunication with the load-containing cavity of the shell by closuremembers 2, continuously welded or otherwise sealed with adjacent partsof both the channel C and the shell A.

A tension member generally indicated at D is provided, disposed toextend through the way formed by the saddle member C and the openings0!. in the shell, and having end connections with the corresponding endparts of the member B. The greater and intermediate part of the tensionmember D is of sectional form to seat within the saddle member C, andwhere the saddle member is of channel form as illustrated, the tensionmember D is preferably of strap form in its intermediate portion. Forits end connections, bolts 3 are secured to the strap as by welding, andthreaded to receive nuts 4, the frame members B having openings toreceive the bolts 3, all as indicated.

It will be apparent that by the arrangement illustrated and described,the tank is secured to its Supporting base by the tension member D,which however is substantially concealed, being disposed for the mostpart within the shell yet effective upon the shell substantially in thesame manner as though it were outside.

With reference now to Figs. 2 and 3, a modification is shown, adaptedfor empoyment where the tank includes a bulkhead provided by a pair oftransverse walls 5, these walls being longitudinally spaced from eachother and peripherally sealed with the shell A as by integral flangeswelded to the latter at 6.

The shell is provided with openings w adjacent the ends of the basemember B as before, the latter being located in the general plane of thebulkhead as indicated in Fig. 2. Here a plurality of spaced clips C areeach secured to the inner face of the shell A as by welding, to define away leading between the opening a and following the 55 contour of theshell. The tension member D is disposed along this way with endconnections to the base member B as before.

With reference now to the modification of Figs. 4 and 5, a tubularsaddle member C", as of circular or other suitable sectional form, isemployed, welded to the shell A either continuously or at intervalsalong its length as indicated at l, and leading between openings at thesides of the shell and adjacent the supporting member B", the member C"being sealed in these openings as by the peripheral welding indicated at8. The tension member D may preferably be cylindrical throughout itslength, fitting loosely within the tubular member C" through which itextends, the end connections of the tension member D with the basemember B being accomplished by threading its endsto receive bolts asindicated at 9.

To conceal the described openings in the shell and the corresponding endconnections of the tension members, :mask means are provided. Such maskmeans may be preferably in the form of moldings E, runninglongitudinally at the sides of the. shell, between the longitudinallyspaced transverse shell-supporting members. The mold- .ings maypreferably have bends providing a shelf part I0 disposed to overlie theprojection ends of the base members B to which securement may be had asby bolts I I, an upstanding lip 12 concealing the end connectionsbetween tension and base members and the corresponding openings in theshell. The molding E may also preferably include a dependent skirtportion l3 which'imay extend downwardly sufiiciently to conceal as muchof the supporting frame structure as desired, or even some of therunning gear of the vehicle.

While for clarity of showing the mask molding E is specificallyillustrated only in Fig. 4, it will be obviously equally adaptable foremployment in the modifications of Fig. 1 and of Figs. 2 and 3.

What I claim is: 1. Means for securing a tank shell upon a supportingbase, comprising means arranged to. de-

fine an arched way leading within the shell 'between end openings at thesides of the shell, without communication with the load-containingcavity of the shell, said base having parts adjacent said openings, anda tension member having end connections with said base partsand'extending therebetween along said way.

2. Means for securing a tank shell upon a supporting base, comprisingmeans arranged to define a way leading within the shell between endopenings at the sides of the shell, without communication with the loadcontaining cavity of the shell, said base having parts adjacent saidopenings, and a tension member having end connections with said baseparts and extending therebetween along said way.

3. Means for securing a tank shell upon a supporting base, said shellhaving a convex top, said securing means comprising means arranged todefine a way leading within the shell and following the contour of saidtop, between end openings at the sides of the shell, withoutcommunication with the load-containing cavity of the shell, said basehaving parts adjacent said openings, and a tension member having endconnections with said base parts and extending therebetween along saidway.

4. Means for securing a tank shell upon a supporting base, said shellhaving a convex top, said securing'means comprising means havingconnection with said too: and arranged to define 21,

way leading within the shell and following the contour of said top,between end openings at the sides of the shell, without communicationwith the load-containing cavity of the shell, said base having partsadjacent said openings, and a ten sion member having end connectionswith said base parts and extending therebetween along said way.

5. Means for securing a tank shell upon a supporting base, said shellhaving a convex top, said securing means comprising channel meansdisposed within the shell to define a way following the contour of saidtop between openings in the shell at the sides of the latter, sealingmeans at the sides of said channel member closing communication alongthe channel between the channel cavity and the load-containing cavity ofthe shell, and a tension member having end connections with said baseand extending therebetween through said way and shell openings.

6. Means for securing a tank shell upon a sup porting base, said shellhaving a convex top, said securing means comprising a plurality ofspaced channel means disposed within the shell to de fine a wayfollowing the contour of said top between openings in the shell at thesides of the latter,'sealing means at the sides of said channel memberclosing communication along the channel between the channel cavity andthe load-containing cavity of the shell, sealing means at the ends ofsaid channel member, and a tension member having end connections withsaid base and extending therebetween through said way and shellopenings.

7. Means for securing a tank shell upon a supporting base, said shellhaving a convex top and a pair of adjacent transverse bulkhead walls,said shell having openings at its sides between said walls, meansdisposed between said walls and extending transversely of said shellwith arched characteristics to define an arched Way within saidbulkhead, and a tension member having end connections with said base,and therebetween extending through said shell openings and along saidway.

8. Means for securing a tank shell upon a supporting base, said shellhaving a convex top, said securing means comprising a tubular memberdisposed within said shell between openings at the shell sides, saidtubular member having end portions sealed with the shell at saidopenings and being secured to the shell top intermediate said endportions, said base having parts adjacent said openings, and a tensionmember having end connections with said base parts and extendingtherebetween through said tubular member.

9. Means for securing a tank shell upon a supporting base, said shellhaving a convex top, said securing means comprising a tubular memberdisposed within said shell between openings at the shell sides, saidtubular member having end portions sealed with the shell at saidopenings and intermediate its ends following the contour of said shelltop and secured thereto, said base having parts adjacent said openings,and a tension member having end connections with said base parts andextending therebetween through said tubular member.

10. Means for securing a tank shell upon a supporting base, said shellhaving a convex top, said securing means comprising a tubular memberdisposed within said shell between openings at the shell sides, saidtubular member having end portions sealed with the shell at saidopenings and being disposed to follow the contour of said shell top withuniform connection thereto intermediate said end portions, said basehaving parts adjacent said openings, and a tension member having endconnections with said base parts and extending therebetween through saidtubular member.

11. Means for securing a tank shell upon a supporting base, comprisingmeans arranged to define an arched way leading within the shell betweenend openings at the sides of the shell, without communication with theload-containing cavity of the shell, said base having parts adjacentsaid openings, a tension member having end connections with said baseparts and extending therebetween along said way, and means mounted uponsaid base and arranged to mask said end connections.

12. Means for securing a tank shell upon a supporting base, comprisingmeans arranged to define an arched way leading within the shell betweenend openings at the sides of the shell, without communication with theload-containing cavity of the shell, said base having parts adjacentsaid openings, a tension member having end connections with said baseparts and. extending therebetween along said way, and molding meansarranged upon said base at the sides of said shell and extendinglongitudinally thereof to mask the corresponding of said endconnections.

13. Means for securing a tank shell upon a supporting base, comprisingmeans arranged to define an arched way leading within the shell ,betweenend openings at the sides of the shell, without communication with theload-containing cavity of the shell, said base having parts adjacentsaid openings, a tension member having end connections with said baseparts and extending therebetween along said way, and molding meansarranged upon said base at the sides of said shell and extendinglongitudinally thereof to mask the corresponding of said endconnections, said molding means extending below said connections toconceal said base.

HORACE A. CRARY.

